


what a joke.

by orphan_account



Series: Oneshots [1]
Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Role Reversal, Canon-Typical Violence, Fights, Implied Relationships, Murder, Other, Possession, Role Reversal, Spoilers - Undertale Genocide Route, Undertale Genocide Route, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-05
Updated: 2019-05-05
Packaged: 2020-02-26 12:50:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 833
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18717436
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: They stand in the judgment hall; tall, arching windows revealing a beautiful summer day, birds chirping and flowers blooming. The hall has seen better days, given the broken stone and tile littering it now, knives stuck into its surface like confetti at a party. They stand there, one covered in dust and the other in blood, determining the fate of the world in a battle Chara hopes is worth it.Too many people have died for them not to care anymore.





	what a joke.

“Hey, Chara. Wanna hear a joke?”

Chara pants, doubled over with their arm wrapped around their middle, sweat dripping down their face and scarlet eyes glaring down the white-haired boy in front of them, gaze falling to the knife held in his hands.

They stand in the judgment hall; tall, arching windows revealing a beautiful summer day, birds chirping and flowers blooming. The hall has seen better days, given the broken stone and tile littering it now, knives stuck into its surface like confetti at a party. They stand there, one covered in dust and the other in blood, determining the fate of the world in a battle Chara hopes is worth it.

Too many people have died for them not to care anymore.

They hesitate, taking in his unusually calm, laidback stance, his disturbed smile, his black-and-blue bruises and bright blue eyes. They won’t admit it, but watching Papyrus’ tears stream down his face while he holds that creepy, too-wide-of-a-smile scares them.

“…Shoot,” they spit out, grip tightening on their own knife.

Papyrus’ smile widens, eyes glowing, and they know deep down that this can’t be the sweet, caring boy that first fell down into the land of monsters, that this can’t possibly be the same person who wanted to save them all. They remember being like that when they first fell, too, just as Frisk was (they wince as they remember the other child’s body, broken and bloodied in the snow, a gash sliced into their throat. They try to forget what it felt like to stare down into their soulless eyes, a hint of determination and love still clear on their face. They fail). So full of love and hope for monsterkind, a people none of them had known until now, so full of purpose. They don’t know what caused him to change into this.

And hell, maybe he’s right to abandon a dream like that. After all, after so long being imprisoned under the mountain, humans still found ways to ruin monsters’ lives. People still found ways to hurt and maim and kill when all monsters wanted was some peace and a place to call home.

It sickens them.

The boy interrupts their thoughts with another swing of his knife, Chara narrowly dodging out of the way. He shakes, knife pointed at their chest, staring them down as he waits for them to attack (because he can’t go, at least not yet; Chara found themselves grateful for at least that particular rule of the universe).

“We could have been friends,” the boy tells them suddenly, giggling. “If only you’d tried a bit harder to save him.”

For a moment, Chara falters, confused. Their arm lowers to their side, weapon grasped in their fist and hair hanging in their face.

Their eyes widen in realization.

Oh, right—the joke.

 “…Well,” they say through a forced grin, “if you hold still, I might still be able to save him.”

The boy snorts. He dodges their attack effortlessly, even stuffing his hands in his pockets as he jumps out of the way, pausing to look through his items. “I find that unlikely. Only I can help him—you’d just get in the way.”

“I’d hardly call killing a bunch of people helping,” Chara snaps. _Come on—take your turn. Let me go. Let me win._

_If you’re really in there, Papyrus, you should just let me win so we can fix this._

_Please._

A shrug. Papyrus weighs his options, a disinterested look on his face as he says, “We tried his way, but he just kept dying. Not like your little friend helped with that at all.”

“Don’t talk about them!”

An amused grin crosses the boy’s face. “…I’m just taking a couple’a shortcuts for my little bro. That’s all—and if a few people have to die because of it, then so be it.”

Chara grits their teeth. Their hold on their knife tightens, the child stepping forward, “You sick little—”

CRACK.

999999.

An explosion of pain in their gut. A sharp stab slicing through their abdomen and into their stomach, twisting with a quick flick of the boy’s wrist.

Eyes wide, face pale, they drop their weapon, hands slowly reaching to touch the knife jutting out of their body. Blood drips onto the tiled floor, the windows of the judgment hall bathing them in golden light.

Papyrus steps back and assesses his handiwork, eyes glowing brighter. Grinning, he leans forward and pecks them on the cheek. “I win, _dear_.”

All they can do is open and close their mouth, unable to make a sound. They collapse, leaning against a pillar and whimpering, their soul shattering in their chest.

The last thing they see before they’re swallowed up by the darkness is the boy heading towards the throne room, his stride confident, determined. So unlike the Papyrus they knew.

Tears slipping down their cheeks, Chara closes their eyes, allowing themselves some peace as their body goes limp.

_At least I tried._

**Author's Note:**

> wooooo first story here!!!
> 
> ngl this was hard at first. all i wanted to do was make it so that sans was the Bad Bean and chara was the tragic hero, but instead i accidentally created an au?????
> 
> but yeah basically, these are the role switches:  
> papyrus & frisk  
> sans & chara  
> asgore & undyne  
> toriel & alphys  
> asriel/flowey & gaster 
> 
> i might write more for this down the road, idk, we'll have to see. 
> 
> but yeah i hope you like!!!


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